At Sacrament Time

Luke 22:19-20
And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

It's been a hectic week.
Full of appointments, meetings, conversations, text messages, and interruptions
Full of blog posts, email threads, phone calls, and TO DOs
Full of goings, comings, putting on, and putting off, and putting up withs
Full of problems, without solutions.
Full of so much that's turned out to be so little
Next week is much the same.

But for the moment I sit quietly and remember:

"And he took bread, and gave thanks"
I wonder about my "bread"
My day to day sustanence, my day to day blessings
Coming to me in small packages of goodness and grace
I think about those blessings and the more I think the more I recognize
That the bread of life has truly blessed mine.
I wonder at my "giving"
And realize slowly, painfully
That my giving this week has been so very little
Too little, too late
How many people in need have I passed by on the way to Jericho
How many decisions have I made without thinking of consequences
How many tasks have I accomplished without stopping to help others with theirs
How many opportunities for service have I missed
How many beggars, with hands out stretched
How many downcast eyes, and hearts have I passed by
How many times have I taken without thanks
How did my time to give and give thanks become so wasted

"And brake it, and gave unto them, saying,"
Then, in my heart pain,
In my recognition of the truth
My head bows a little more
I feel, soulfully, the stretching and ache of the last week
As if for the first time all week
My life's moments break into pieces
Pieces of commission and omission
Pieces of no mission.
Pieces that need healing.

"This is my body which is given for you"
This, my body of weeks work, of imperfect labors and loves,
I compare to His perfect body of work
I remember His remembering of the one
I remember His caring for the poor, the needy, the destitute of hope
I remember His stopping by the way, His quiet words of encouragement
I remember His walking dusty paths
Wearing out His body during long days, long nights and early mornings
I remember His patient teaching, His constant reminders to goodness and God
I remember His kneeling prayers and pleading words
In my behalf

"this do in remembrance of me"
All of a sudden I am proposing
New measures of living
All of a sudden I am promising
To do better and be better
All of a sudden I am committing
To more doing in remembrance of Him

"Likewise also the cup after supper saying"
I realize that my cup runneth over
I understand that my life is one long "after supper"
That I feel humbly...full
I know that in my pouring out and over my life
He can pour in the Spirit of the Lord
The Spirit of goodness and grace
The Spirit of truth and righteousness
The Spirit of peace.

"This cup is the new testament in my blood"
In this quiet moment of reflection and truth
I understand that its not enough to change
Not enough to make my life like his
But that if I can help others along the way
I might cover a multitude of sins
What will my testament become
Will I search out the family, friends, and neighbors
Who He wants me to help along the way.

"Which is shed for you"
My head bows a little lower
My arms fold a little tighter across my chest
And as the single tear I shed cascades along my cheek
I think of the countless drops of blood shed for me.

Miraculously, I feel for the first time all week
I feel known
I feel comforted
I feel clean
I feel whole
I feel free
I feel at peace
I feel the Savior at work in my life.